Britain's finest forced to dance to New Zealand's tune

The Lions may have taken a spin doctor to New Zealand last summer but the All Blacks are canny enough to know it is only winners who have the privilege of rewriting history. Thus Graham Henry, New Zealand's coach, could say with a straight face that Scotland had given his grand-slam winning side their "best game of rugby on tour". In this one condescending phrase Henry, an unattractive mix of smugness and tetchiness on Saturday night, was able to dismiss England, the only team that gave New Zealand anything resembling a game this autumn.

New Zealand performed their more gentlemanly version of the haka at Murrayfield rather than the disgraceful cut-throat version at Twickenham. The Scots were always going to dance to their tune.

Twenty-seven years ago when the All Blacks came to Murrayfield on the final leg of their grand-slam tour in similar murky conditions they beat Scotland in a real contest, a game settled only in the dying minutes when Ian McGeechan's attempted drop-goal was charged down and Bruce Robertson scored a deciding try at the other end. This weekend Simon Webster's last-minute try for the Scots was heralded as if the replacement had just won the Calcutta Cup rather than made the scoreline a lot more respectable than that suffered by supporters of Wales and Ireland. Scotland actually played some defiant, entertaining rugby after the break but by then the game was up and the minds of the All Blacks, with a raft of replacements, were on the flight home and their place in history.

In 1978 the All Blacks lock Frank Oliver was still burrowing away in rucks and mauls in those final minutes. On Saturday his son Anton trotted from the field eight minutes after the break to be replaced by Andrew Hore with the air of a man who had done nothing more strenuous than hit double top on the dart board. These All Blacks are not so much the Invincibles than the Ever-changeables.

What this autumn tour has underlined in indelible ink is that only France can rival New Zealand for its depth of talent, which is why these two sides will be the main rivals for the 2007 World Cup. And to bolster that talent there are always the Pacific Islands. Isaia Toeava played his first Test here at full-back. Toeava is 19 and born in Moto'otua in Samoa. How the land of his birth would have liked him to help stem the white tide at Twickenham on Saturday instead.

Of course New Zealand can always point to instances of England flying flags of convenience, from the All Black Jamie Salmon changing his allegiance to today when Mark van Gisbergen is picked in an England squad. But New Zealand's trawling for talent in the South Pacific is on a different scale. Not only are the All Blacks having their cake and eating it; someone is going to the baker's shop for them.

Toeava is some talent, though. Scotland tried to unnerve him and a succession of high balls came out of the gloomy Edinburgh skies. The teenager was equal to them and he helped set up a remarkable try for Sione Lauaki, a score late in the first half that put the All Blacks out of reach. Toeava gave a pass to the lock James Ryan who with a spot of ball juggling worthy of a Harlem Globetrotter gave the No8 his opportunity to plunge over. Toeava is one for the future as Tana Umaga, the first Samoan to lead the All Blacks, becomes part of the All Blacks' past, the captain now set to step into retirement at the age of 32.

Sean Lamont, the Scotland wing whose 70-metre second-half break was one of the more thrilling sights of the afternoon, was full of admiration for the All Blacks. "They weren't as physical as the Samoans but they're quicker and they offload so well and are a quality side."

Today Lamont goes back to his club Northampton, who on Saturday against Worcester fielded seven New Zealanders. Scotland may not be picking too many Kilted Kiwis in their national side nowadays but there really is no escape from the long, black shadow.